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J&K council polls acid test for coalition

Jammu: Nov 29, 2012 IANS

Votes to be cast at 286 election booths in state

As Jammu and Kashmir gears up for elections to the four seats in the 36-member legislative council on December 3, campaigning is at its peak with each party trying to consolidate its position in the Upper House.

Even the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference has withdrawn its call to boycott the polls.

JKPC chairman Shafiq Mir said: “The organisation (legislative council) stands for the democratic principles of the Indian constitution. Hence, and for the sake of larger democracy, we are withdrawing the boycott.”

However, he clarified that JKPC would not support any particular group or individual and asked panchayats and panches to vote for whoever they wanted to.

Of the 36 seats in state legislative council, six — four from the panchayat quota and two from local bodies — are lying vacant since the last panchayat polls in 2011.

Thirty-seven candidates are contesting from Jammu region and Kashmir valley, including a big chunk of independents.

The electorate for the council polls comprises 33,540 elected panches and sarpanches (village council members and heads), with 15,628 in Jammu region and 17,912 in the Kashmir Valley.

Votes would be cast through electronic voting machines at 286 polling booths. Votes would be counted on December 6.

Each panchayat member would cast two votes: one each for two candidates of the area.Though the 2011 panchayat polls were held on non-party basis, “political parties did back their candidates”, said Rekha Choudhary, professor of the political science in Jammu University.

She added: “Now, each party is trying to consolidate their position in the Upper House where the candidate’s term would be of six years.”

Amir Tantray, a political analyst, said: “These elections will present the report card of the National Conference and Congress coalition in the run-up to the 2014 state Assembly elections.”

However, Choudhary disagrees: “The report card of the government is given directly by voters and not by just 33,540 panchayat members.”

Over 80 per cent voters had cast votes in the panchayat elections. CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said: “Most importantly, the institution of the panchayat is getting representation in the Upper House.”